


running hot

by marginaliana



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:21:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28207503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marginaliana/pseuds/marginaliana
Summary: The ship to Vesrah gave them time. Time to speak, in quiet moments; time to kiss, when the sun had gone down and they lay together, breathing in shared air. Time to fuck, too, when they could get rid of Tary's tinkering and Keyleth's worrying and Vax's… everything.
Relationships: Percival "Percy" Fredrickstein Von Musel Klossowski de Rolo III/Vex'ahlia
Comments: 16
Kudos: 106
Collections: Critmas Exchange 2020





	running hot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ellebellebab](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellebellebab/gifts).



They were still learning each other, she and Percy. They'd known each other for years now, were familiar with each other's tastes and nervous habits. Vex knew the way Percy liked his tea, and that he politely ignored the horrible smell of Grog's breath, and that his snores were always just barely audible except when he had a cold and they developed a faint whistling overtone. She'd seen him naked more than once and she knew he'd seen her a few times as well.

But this… this was a new kind of learning. A deliberate openness, a gift even more precious than the arrows that Percy crafted. That first time, when he came to her room in the castle, it had taken them both a fair bit of drink to get further than kissing. Now Percy reached for her eagerly every time – and if it took a little longer for him to share what was inside than what was outside, well, Vex could certainly understand that. 

The ship to Vesrah gave them time. Time to speak, in quiet moments; time to kiss, when the sun had gone down and they lay together, breathing in shared air.

Time to fuck, too, when they could get rid of Tary's tinkering and Keyleth's worrying and Vax's… everything. Today Vex gave a pointed hint to Percy, which meant a little bribe to Grog, which meant a loud and deeply unsubtle request for everyone else's help out on deck.

When they were gone at last, Vex locked the door to their cabin and pushed Percy up against the wall. 

"Nice work," she murmured. "My clever man."

Percy groaned and put his hands on her waist, pulling her close and rucking up her shirt so that he could reach skin. "Vex."

"Mmm, yes, darling?"

He kissed her instead of answering, dug his fingers into her hips as if he thought she might run away even after all the trouble to get him alone. Vex bit at his bottom lip and at the corner of his mouth where softness gave way to stubble. The fabric of his vest was soft against her palms; he'd left off his coat, given the weather, and she'd been thinking about this for hours. Half-casual was a good look on him. 

Still, naked would be better. She began unbuttoning him slowly, teasingly, feeling the rise and fall of his chest. When the vest was undone, Percy moved to shrug it off, but she pushed him harder against the wall with her hips and started unbuttoning his shirt as well. 

"Vex," he said again, mouth still pressed to hers. It didn't sound like a protest and he didn't say anything else when she kept going, fingers slipping each button through its buttonhole with a little caress in between. At last he was all undone and she pulled back to see the results of her handiwork. 

"Do I get to reciprocate?" Percy asked, half-amused.

"Mmm," said Vex. "In a minute." She wanted to look her fill. 

His skin was flushed, a pretty rose pink between the white panels of his shirtfront. Vex palmed his chest, outlining the shape of his muscles with her fingertips until he shuddered.

"Please," he said. "Vex, please." Still he didn't move to pull away. 

It didn't surprise her; Percy tended to observe before acting, as he did with most things, mentally noting what she liked and what she didn't.

Vex didn't have the patience for that, of course. "Tell me what you want," she said. 

"Anything," he said. Vex liked that from his lips, of course she did, but sometimes it felt too worshipful. _I'm far too much of an idiot to deserve you,_ he'd said – as if she was an idol rather than a person, as if she wasn't as much of an idiot as he was, at times.

 _Well, maybe that's going a bit far,_ she thought. Nevertheless, she didn't feel like being adored just at the moment. Perhaps it was time to resort to a little gentle intimidation. 

"Tell me," she said sharply, digging fingernails into the skin of his throat.

Percy shuddered, eyes fluttering almost closed and then open again before he slid his hands down beneath her buttocks and lifted her up in one smooth movement. Vex gasped and put her arms around his neck. He whirled them around to trade places, Vex now against the wall, held in place by the strength of his grip and the weight of his body. He was hard against her. "I want to taste you," he said. 

"Acceptable," Vex said, though it came out more breathy than teasing. Percy laughed and bent his head, kissing down the line of her neck; Vex tilted her head back to give him easier access, shivering at the heat of his wet mouth. 

He ran hot, always had, as if the burning coals of the forge in his workshop had lodged themselves somewhere deep inside him. But he was hotter still when he put his mouth on her, slick tongue like a caressing flame.

Vex rolled her hips towards him, dug her heels into the backs of his thighs to urge him closer. He laughed against her collarbone, scraping his teeth over the sensitive skin for a long, shuddering moment before he pulled away from the wall and carried her to the bed.

She let go before he could set her down gently, shifting her grip to the parted fabric of his shirtfront and yanking him down on top of her. 

"Pushy," he said with a grin. "I thought it was my turn to choose."

Vex pouted just to keep the smile on his face. "Oh, very well," she said. She let go of him, leaning back. "Do with me what you will, then."

That brought an even deeper flush to his face but he didn't comment, just kissed her for a long moment before reaching down to pull her tunic up over her head and off. Her breastband swiftly followed and then she was bare before his gaze. The intensity in his eyes was halfway to what they carried in battle; Vex thought that perhaps she ought to be less turned on by that. But no, she liked him strong and fierce in whatever form that took, as long as he was truly there with her and not wreathed in smoke.

"Gods, you're beautiful," he said. He kissed her again, softer this time but no less passionate, moving across her cheek to her ear. "So beautiful." He kissed the corner of her jaw and then down over her throat, mouthing wetly at the skin. Then down to her chest, rubbing his face against her breasts, one and then the other, feeling the shape of her. 

His stubble prickled and Vex shivered, her skin suddenly desperate for more. She fumbled for his hips, pulling him close so that she could feel his cock, hot even through the fabric. "Percy—" 

Percy smiled teasingly and followed the path of his cheek around again with his tongue, licking at one nipple, teasing with a flick before drawing it into his mouth and sucking gently. Vex moaned, shivering as she arched up into the touch. Percy sighed out a breath that stuttered across skin still wet from his kisses. He caught her nipple between his teeth and bit down.

" _Fuck_."

The sting went through her like lightning and she arched against him. He pulled his mouth away from her with a smirk. Vex wanted desperately to kiss it. She reached up to cup his face in one hand. Percy allowed the touch but only pressed his lips to her palm before sliding down instead and reaching for the fastening of her trousers.

He slid his hand inside her small clothes. She was wet, almost dripping with want; the barest touch of his fingertips sent a shiver that traveled all the way up to her hair. She'd had those clever fingers inside her before and the memories made her groan. 

Percy smirked again, pulling his hand back. He licked his fingers with a hum, taking his time. 

"Percyyyyy."

"What?" Percy raised an eyebrow. "Can I help it if I want to savor?"

"When I'm sitting here on a silver platter?"

"Funny looking platter," Percy said, gesturing with his head to indicate the lumpy bed. "I'm a de Rolo, you know. I expect only the best." Something caught in Vex's throat at that; it must have shown on her face at least a little because Percy dropped his smirk and looked at her with an expression of intense sincerity. "Vex." He pushed himself back up the bed to kiss her. "Don't you dare think I meant to put you down."

"I know," she said, and it was true. "I know."

"Fuck," said Percy. "This is what I get for trying to be suave."

"No, no," Vex said. "You're very suave, darling." 

Percy gave her a look. "No, I'm not."

Vex couldn't help but grin. He really wasn't. "Charming, then," she said, and touched his face again. 

"As long as you'll _stay_ charmed," said Percy said wryly, but the sincerity was back in his eyes. 

"Work your magic on me and I'll let you know," Vex said pointedly.

Percy laughed. "Yes, dear." He slid back down the bed, pulling her trousers off entirely and parting her legs with the press of palms to her thighs. Then he bent his head and put his mouth to her.

He was good at this, though she knew he hadn't much experience. It was observation again, yes – his willingness to test and tease and memorize her reactions. But it was his enthusiasm, too – the obvious delight he took in her body and in the act. The way his tongue was hot and clever and strong; the way he breathed in her scent and shivered and moaned when he tasted her. 

Vex arched up into him, grabbing at his soft hair to ground herself against the pleasure of his stubbled face and sweet lips. Percy groaned and pressed even further into her, mouthing at her clit for a long moment before he pulled away. He was breathing hard, face gleaming wet, collar mussed and glasses askew. He made a grumbling noise and fumbled them off impatiently; Vex caught them in her free hand before he could chuck them onto the floor. 

"Honestly, Percival," she said, laughing. "Be careful with your precious things."

"I intend to," he said. He stroked his thumbs over her thighs softly but with obvious intent.

Warmth blossomed in Vex's chest. "That was actually pretty suave," she said, setting his glasses aside.

"Oh, good," said Percy. "Remind me to use it again later."

Vex flicked him on the ear. "I think you can do better things with your mouth than recycled lines, darling."

Percy snorted, but all he said was, "Yes, dear," and bent his head again.

He seemed to sense that she was ready for more than softness now because he turned his head to scrape his rough cheek against her, turned back to suck hard on her clit and press his tongue deep. His hands were strong on her thighs, holding her just so, and Vex threw her head back and gave up control.

She had no idea how long it lasted, the rolling waves of pleasure as he kissed and licked and fucked her open with his sweet, beautiful, clever tongue. But she was close to the edge when he stopped, forehead pressed to her thigh, breathing hard. 

"Vex," he said. "I— fuck. Can I—"

Somehow she knew what he meant. " _Yes_ ," she said, "yes, come here."

He came to her flushed red, sweat sticking his open shirt and vest to his sides, fumbling at the fastening of his trousers. Vex reached down to help him but only got in the way, so she pushed his shirt off instead, down over one shoulder and then the other when he got his trousers off at last and his arm was free. Then he was naked, wiry muscle and pale hair and really very nice cock, and Vex would have stopped to look at him for a while if she weren't so desperate. "Come here," she said again, reaching for him, guiding him inside her.

It took a moment to adjust; Vex put her arms around Percy's neck and stuck one foot up onto the back of his thigh to nudge him into the right angle. Percy laughed, but his eyes fluttered shut as he rocked into her. He murmured something she couldn't quite make out. She kissed the side of his face. "Like that," she said, and, "more" and "fuck" and " _harder_."

They found a sharp rhythm together – a little awkward given the lumpy bed and the occasional motion of the boat, but wonderful nonetheless. They traded desperate kisses, Vex with one hand on his back and the other in his hair, one of Percy's hands between them pinching at her nipples while the other braced him above her. She met his every thrust with her own, moaning each time they came together and apart and together. 

Both of them were too wound tight for it to last. Vex could feel how close to the edge she was and so she kissed Percy hard as she rolled up into him one last time, kissed him and kissed him and kept on kissing him as pleasure surged through her and she came with a loud groan, muffled only by his mouth. Percy cried out and followed her.

They lay in sweaty silence for a while. Percy pressed light kisses to Vex's shoulder; she stroked the back of his head, ruffling his hair and then smoothing it down again.

She wanted to say 'I love you,' but she wasn't ready yet. 'My heart is yours' was close enough to convey the sentiment and she knew now that he'd heard that much, but it wasn't the same. 

Instead she said, "How long do you think Grog will manage to keep them occupied?"

Percy grinned against her shoulder. "Depends on whether your brother realizes what's going on. And whether he decides he wants to interrupt or not."

"He'd better not," Vex said darkly. 

"You don't think sight of my pasty bottom would give him a nice, traumatizing lesson?"

There was a hint of insecurity in Percy's voice, not quite hidden; Vex thought about poking at it, but decided against it. They were opening up to each other, yes, but it didn't need to happen all at once. 

"No one gets to look at that bottom but me," she said, and then reached down to pat it in a proprietary manner – a pat that turned into a grab when there was a pounding at the door. Both of them jumped. " _Really_?" Vex muttered. She was not at all surprised to hear her brother's voice calling her name.

"Little bit busy," she called back.

"I don't care!" said Vax. "You set Grog on me!" 

Vex grabbed at the blanket and flipped the edge up over them both just in case he decided to burst in. Percy pressed his face into her neck and started to giggle helplessly.

"You just had to tempt fate," Vex told him. "You had to, didn't you."

"Sorry," he said through the giggles.

"Fuck off!" Vex shouted at the door. "I'm busy and I'm really enjoying myself!" There was a gagging noise from behind the door. Percy's shoulders were shaking with laughter. "Do you want me to narrate?" Vex added. "Right now Percy has his—"

" _Ugh, fine_ ," Vax said loudly. "Fine, whatever, please stop talking now." Vex could hear him move away down the corridor. "Don't know what I was thinking," he said, his voice getting quieter. "Should have just kept sparring with Grog. Would've been less painful."

"Less painful than what I'm going to do later," Vex murmured. Percy was still laughing, the noise muffled against her shoulder. Vex thumped him gently. "You were no help at all."

He lifted his head, grinning like an idiot. "Deepest apologies, my lady," he said. "I'm at your service for any revenge needs, of course."

The sight of his smile made Vex's heart thump wildly. "I hope you'll be at my service for all sorts of things," she said, and abandoned thoughts of revenge entirely in favor of pulling him into a kiss.


End file.
